Lemon Raspberry Cake with Raspberry Frosting

August 27, 2017

I want to eat this cake all day, every day. Lemon + raspberry is a match made in heaven. Add those to a light, buttery cake and you’ve reached something truly sublime.

When I first made this recipe, it was actually as lemon cupcakes with a raspberry frosting, for my friend Casey’s birthday. But even as I was making it, I was mentally adapting it into a cake. Because let’s face it, cupcakes are a pain in the rear.

And then as I was making the cake, I had the idea of adding some jam swirled throughout. 1) Because I’m a huge fan of jam, and 2) because it does add a lovely moistness and complement to the lemon.

Jam is my jam.

This dessert is perfect for the winter months, because it tastes of springtime and warm days and lemons are usually plentiful. But it would be just as appropriate in summer for a light group dessert. Basically this is a year-round winner. YOU’RE WELCOME.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake tin, and put parchment paper in the bottom if you like feel like it (I’m generally too lazy).

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until creamed (1-2 minutes). Scrape down the sides as you go, to make sure everything is incorporated.

Then add the eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until they’re combined as well, around 2 minutes, and continue to scrape down the sides

In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly take turns adding the dry ingredients and the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the batter in three additions. Beat on low speed as you do this and do NOT overmix the batter, just enough to get it barely incorporated. It should be a nice, light creamy batter.

Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and level it out. Put your jam in a bowl and microwave it for like 15 seconds, just to loosen it up. Spoon big dollops on the batter and then use a knife or skewer to swirl it around in whatever pattern you’d like. I did a very traditional swirl pattern.

Bake for around 30 minutes (but check at 20 and 25, just to be sure). You can use a toothpick to test it. It should have a lovely slight dome and be slightly spongy to the touch, and a toothpick should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the softened butter on medium for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and creamy, then add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Increase to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Add the raspberry jam and beat for another minute or so, until it’s thick and creamy.

If your frosting is too thin or is having trouble with the jam you can add more powdered sugar, but mine was perfect. Taste it, because if it’s too sweet you can add a touch of salt to offset.

Wait until your cake is fully cooled, then frost and top with whatever garnish you’d like (or none at all). Store at room temperature for a day or two, but recommend refrigerating if it will be more than that (or if it’s summer and room temperature is terrible).

If you haven’t eaten it by then…what’s wrong with you??

Lemon Raspberry Cake with Raspberry Frosting

I’m not often one for exactly measuring, but I will say that if you have a kitchen scale, measuring the flour, butter, and sugar by weight will probably turn out a slightly better cake

Cake

1/2 cup (115g) of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature preferred

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (190g) of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup (120ml) of milk

Zest + fresh juice of two medium lemons

Raspberry jam (I recommend a no sugar added/all fruit kind)

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract

Raspberry Frosting

Honestly this makes like double the amount of frosting you need, so I’d maybe halve the frosting unless you have other uses for it or REALLY like to eat icing…

3/4 cups (170g) of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3 1/2 cups (420g) of confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons (45ml) of heavy cream

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of salt, to taste

1/2 cup (165g) of thick raspberry preserves or jam

Optional: fresh raspberries and lemon slices for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake tin, and put parchment paper in the bottom if you like feel like it.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until creamed (1-2 minutes). Scrape down the sides as you go, to make sure everything is incorporated. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until they’re combined as well, around 2 minutes, and continue to scrape down the sides

In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly take turns adding the dry ingredients and the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the batter in three additions. Beat on low speed as you do this and do NOT overmix the batter, just enough to get it barely incorporated.

Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and level it out. Put your jam in a bowl and microwave it for like 15 seconds, just to loosen it up. Spoon big dollops on the batter and then use a knife or skewer to swirl it around in whatever pattern you’d like (you can see what I did).

Bake for around 30 minutes (but check at 20 and 25, just to be sure). You can use a toothpick to test it. It should have a lovely slight dome and be slightly spongy to the touch, and a toothpick should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the softened butter on medium 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and creamy, then add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Increase to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Add the raspberry jam and beat for another minute or two, until thick and creamy. If your frosting is too thin or is having trouble with the jam you can add more powdered sugar, but mine was perfect. Taste it, because if it’s too sweet you can add a touch of salt to offset.

Wait until your cake is fully cooled, then frost and top with whatever garnish you’d like (or none at all). Store at room temperature for a day or two, but recommend refrigerating if it will be more than that (or if it’s summer and room temperature is terrible).

If you do end up having tons of frosting leftover, it’ll keep in the fridge for a week or two, and just set it out on the counter to soften for like 30 minutes before using.

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Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I created this blog for people who love cooking & baking but are challenged to find the time and energy to do it. Recipes run the gamut from super healthy to indulgent, but the focus is on using REAL food no matter what.